Triple-Seven stared at the cloaked figure and the shadow beast beside him, his mind racing with questions and doubts. But what caught him off guard wasn't the transformation but the hostility.
He raised both hands slightly and spoke, trying to ease the tension.
"Brother, relax. It's me, Triple-Seven. I'm your friend."
The cloaked figure remained silent, but the beast started growling, showing its dark canines. Looking back at its master, it released a low bark that Triple-Seven couldn't understand.
Noticing the exchange, Triple-Seven frowned. 'They're communicating, but I can't understand a single thing from their damn exchange. What's happening? What's this language?'
'Should've asked him for a full breakdown of every damn skill he gained…' He thought, taking a few steps forward and getting closer to the creature that once was One Hundred-Sixteen.
Startled, the duo vanished into the shadows and began moving away from Triple-Seven.
'Damn it. This guy isn't following the script,' he cursed, activating his bloodline transformation and pushing his power to the limit to chase after his brother.
Releasing his mental power, he soon realized there was a problem.
'He's disappeared... He's level 10 and already capable of evading my senses. This isn't good.'
Expanding his awareness across the entire New World Kingdom, he scanned for any trace and finally found something.
'I can sense thousands of beasts being slaughtered by an invisible force in the south of Italy... Of course. He's found a hunting ground and he's grinding.'
Unwilling to let the trail disappear, he teleported to the region.
Looking around, he searched for any trace of Shade but only managed to catch a glimpse of the shadow beast grinning and fading into the distance.
'They're moving again,' he understood.
Using his mental power, he soon found traces of his brother's presence in India.
***
I could feel it. I was born from the shadows, for the shadows. And beside me, a dog bestowed upon me by my god, the Eternal Night.
But something was wrong. This world was too bright. Light was everywhere. The shadows flowing through my veins urged me to do something about it.
But now, something stood in my way.
'Who's that?' I wondered, look at the person who appeared before me.
Looking at the shadow beast, I heard its warning.
'That person is planning to make me abandon the shadows?'
Without hesitation, I vanished from that place and reappeared deep within a distant forest.
I remembered nothing but one face. However, I don't know who it belongs to.
However, I wasn't entirely lost. I could hear voices. The whispers of the shadows.
They guided me, showing me how I could grow stronger by absorbing them and sending beasts into the Eternal Night's embrace.
Still lost in thoughts, I watched as my partner attacked the beasts, hunting and harvesting thousands of shadows for me.
'What are these sounds?' I thought, remembering there were always strange sounds in my mind.
I managed to ignore them for a while, but when my partner absorbed thousands of small beasts, I could no longer take it. I pressed the exclamation mark that floated at the edge of my vision.
[You have acquired a Shadow Beast!]
[Give it a name to increase the bond that ties you with it.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
...
[Level Up!]
'What is all of this?' I wondered.
Unable to make sense of most of what I read, I just wanted the sounds to stop, and for the text to vanish.
I looked at the beast beside me, returning from its mission.
'It seems I knew you were a Shadow Beast, even though I've never met one before… If a name can bring us closer, I shall give you one.'
But then I hesitated.
'How can I, who knows nothing of this world, of myself, of anything… name another?'
This thought startled me, giving birth to new doubts.
'Do I even have a name? And how do I even know what a name is? Who am I?'
And as if in answer, the strange sounds in my mind faded. The notifications disappeared, reducing my burden.
'Some peace...' I thought, enjoying the silence.
It didn't last. Hiding in the shadows, I looked up and saw the figure again—the same man from earlier.
'He's still following me.' I understood.
I vanished again, reappearing in a distant land. But this time, my Shadow Beast didn't immediately follow.
'Why did it reveal itself to the enemy? Is it stupid?' I thought, sensing its movements.
When it finally appeared beside me, I frowned and spoke,
"Stay close to me. Stop taunting that person. We're not its match."
"Yes, Master," it answered.
And once again, I thought back to my decision.
"Can you tell me what race you belong to? Are you a dog?"
I was surprised to see it whimper and lower its head, as if I had offended it.
'A dog can't be offended, right? Does this mean it's not a dog?'
The Shadow Beast raised its head after a moment and straightened its posture, as if showing off its pride.
"I'm a servant of the Eternal Night. A member of a highly ranked race among Shadow Beasts, the Royal Shepherds. The higher-ranked members of our race serve in the Royal Guard, and our reputation is exceptional. We're the most loyal and brave partners a king could ever have."
'So you really are a dog...' I thought.
I didn't like its gaze or its snobbish expression, and I wasn't particularly interested in its history, so I simply said, "From now on, your name will be Midnight."
I looked up and noticed countless creatures walking in the valley before me.
Noticing a few rays of sunlight reaching deep into the mountain range I had chosen to hide in, I frowned and waved a hand to fill the place with [Darkness].
The valley turned dark in less than a second, and thousands of beasts looked up in surprise as the night arrived before they expected it.
'I don't know why I'm doing what I'm doing, but in this world, the strong prey on the weak. And with someone after me, I can't afford to be weak. Please forgive me... and live a better life in the world of the Eternal Night.'
I prayed silently for the beings before me and summoned my shadows.
My shadows isolated each beast, sending them to my [Umbral Realm], where their shadows were cut off and absorbed.
The creatures who lost their shadows didn't die, but they were deprived of all their power.
Knowing their departure from this world would strengthen me, I gave the order to end their lives swiftly.
'May you rest in peace,' I thought, closing my eyes.
When my shadows returned, I felt a noticeable increase in strength.
'Killing these beasts made me stronger... in a strange, unfamiliar way. Is this what the strange text called a 'level up'?' I wondered, before turning my focus to something else.
'Each shadow I absorbed made my own shadows stronger... I feel like the absorption is growing faster and more efficient too.'
I thought back to the person I met earlier and the feeling he gave me.
'My shadows weren't even close to absorbing his. It was like comparing a candle's glow to the sun.'
I moved to another region and continued absorbing shadows. For hours, I didn't stop.
Then I stopped when someone appeared in front of me.
"Little Brother. Aren't you going a little crazy with these hunts? You're level 240 and still wiping out thousands of level 200 beasts despite them not giving you any XP?" A human spoke.
I looked at the figure, and for some reason I couldn't explain, his name was written above his head like all creatures I had seen in this world.
From past encounters, I had learned these bipedal beings were called humans—the most intelligent species in this place.
[XP Bank] [Twelve – Level 230]
'Why does this person have the same face as the one I met earlier?' I was confused. 'The other humans all looked different.'
More figures appeared around me. One... two... seven... ten.
Ten in total, including the one who had first appeared. The one who called himself Triple-Seven.
I looked around and frowned.
Someone had created a cage of [Light] to prevent me from leaving.
I didn't feel threatened, but the use of [Light] clearly revealed they understood my weakness.
Something about their actions made me dislike them.
'Their methods. Their tone. Are they looking down on me?' I thought, itching for a fight.
With one hand, I summoned [Darkness]. With the other, I summoned [Shadow].
'The strong prey on the weak. And these people think I'm weak.'
They looked surprised by my reaction and quickly showed signs of panic. Some shouted at each other, others tried to stop me.
But I didn't listen. I couldn't.
'Who's that person I remember? Why do I remember her? Who made me forget?'
Those were the only thoughts on my mind. I couldn't think of anything else. I had to get stronger. Strong enough to recover my memories and punish the one who made me forget.